Distant past
by SiMpLiCiTyAnGeL
Summary: A distant past of Tsurara threatens to take her away from Rikuo. What will he do to keep her by his side? Read on to find out!
1. A blast from the past

**Disclaimer: I do not own Nurarihyon No Mago ( This world is definitely unfair!)**

**Anyway, this is my first fan-fic, so I hope it'll be good and sorry if any character seems OOC, I'll try my best to prevent that. So I'll just start pouring my lame ideas into this fan-fic, introducing weird and new characters should be pretty fun! :P and just a heads up, my story is in no way related to where the manga is now, a completely different plot, just the way I like it! ;)**

* * *

Branches swayed and leaves whistled as black shapes invaded the forest, jumping from tree to tree.

"Kou! At this rate, we'll never catch him!"

"Patience Reina! We'll surround him soon enough. He will not escape!"

The silver hair man, presumably Kou, countered the seemingly fact with determination in his words. He was clad in what looked like a yukata but topped with armour, a sheathed sword and a long blue scarf wrapped around his neck. The woman, Reina, had her crimson hair tied in a tight pony tail, wearing something similar to the man and answering his statement with an irritated "Tch!"

* * *

"Yosh! As the leader of the Kiyojuji Paranormal Investigation Squad, I say it's time for a yokai hunt!"

The boy with sharp dark brownish eyes and mid-length wavy black hair exclaimed with enthusiasm.

"Huh? Another one? We just went yesterday and my feet is still hurting from walking circles in the forest!"

"That's right! I wanna go home and rest!"

The two girls, Natsumi Torii and Saori Maki complained in unison.

"Ma, ma. There is never time to rest when there is yokai! This time for sure, we will meet some dangerous yokai!"

Kiyotsugu-kun once again exclaimed, proceeding on into the forest.

"Ahaha… Well, guess we have no choice then."

The one who spoke was a boy in glasses, the young master of the Nura clan.

"Rikuo-sama, I have a bad feeling about this…."

The girl with deceptively blue eyes and hair colour with a mixture of blue, black and white, clung on to her master, radiating a chilled atmosphere.

_Why is oikawa-kun holding on to rikuo-kun like that! Don't tell me they are dating?!_Ienaga Kana was left to her own thoughts and it resulted in a series of arguments in her head.

"Kana-chan? Is everything alright?"

Asked a concerned Nura Rikuo.

"E-Everything is fine! D-Don't leave me behind!"

Kana felt warmth rushed to her cheeks as she blushed heavily and hurried to join the group.

* * *

Constantly looking back to confirm he was not tailed, the green-haired man knew he had to quickly find an escape route.

"Shit! I didn't think they would follow me this far. But at least I escaped from that ice-cold prison."

The sound of footsteps and chatter stopped him in his tracks and the man slipped into the trees, hidden by the shadows they made as the sun begun to set.

"Wahh! The sun is setting! We should head back Kiyotsugu-kun."

The football player, Shima, pointed out as he feared for night to come.

"What are you talking about Shima-kun! This is the time where yokai come out! We cannot miss this chance. Let's find some yokai!"

The never-tired Kiyotsugu replied.

"Fools! Thanks for being my escape route!"

At the last word, the green-haired man came out of the green foliage and grabbed the person who was in his line of sight, Kana.

Instinctively, Tsurara stood in front of Rikuo, eyeing the uninvited guest suspiciously, not letting her guard down.

"Kana-chan!"

Rikuo tried to advance forward but was blocked by his vanguard, Tsurara.

"Relax, I won't hurt her, as long as the people chasing me don't hurt me."

The newcomer said with a shrill laugh, praising himself for such a brilliant scheme.

He scanned the group of frightened high-schoolers and came upon a familiar face.

"Well, well. What a surprise. I didn't expect to see that demon's daughter here."

He licked his lips in contempt.

Tsurara stood frozen on the spot. _Who was this man? Something tugged on her memories but she can't seem to place what was the piece of information she was missing. But one thing she knew, this man was dangerous and she could not let him lay a finger on her precious master. _

"Who are you? And what are you talking about?"

Tsurara lashed out, demanding for answers.

"Don't tell me you've already forgotten me, naïve girl. You've forgotten the face of the one who burned your home to the ground and rid you of everything you loved, how sad. "

Although that being said, the man showed no signs of melancholy but rather; let out a maniacal laugh, a mad man for sure.

The words struck her like lightning over and over again, the pain intensifying with each hit. _What? What did he say? _Tsurara had a hard time comprehending what was in fact, reality. Pictures of horror flashed across her mind, showing images of her time before the Nura clan. Houses burning, fire raging all around which melted the pure snow and snowflakes turning into ash, covering the village with grey. But what frightened her most was laughter, ringing in her ears continuously, taunting her.

Without thinking, Tsurara charged, fury consuming her every logical sense, leaving only anger and...pain. The chills she sent out emitted from her body, unintentionally knocking out her master's school friends.

"Wait, stop, Tsurara! You're gonna hurt Kana-chan!"

Rikuo could barely manage his shaky voice as he called for Tsurara to stop. He had never seen her like this before.

The voice of her master seemed to shake her out of her fury and Tsurara stopped just in the nick of time, only a few centimeters away from Kana and her captor.

_What was I doing? Did I almost hurt Ienaga-san with these hands? Wha-What is wrong with me! _The dumb-struck Tsurara just stood there, without uttering another word.

"Fool!"

Taking this chance to strike, the green-haired man went for Tsurara, his hand entering her body and quickly pulling out, blood covering his hand. He licked her blood and showed a distorted smile.

"Tastes just like your father."

Tsurara stood there for a few seconds before dropping to the ground, hand clutching the damaged area on her body, desperately trying to stop the blood gushing out.

Just before the mad man could take the finishing blow, a flash of steel sliced his arm, barely chopping it off.

"Found you! Mitsukage Yaho, you are under arrest! Noroi no Fubuki: Fusei Kakurei!"

The newly arrived silver-haired man shouted and a blast of cold wind spread across the area, attempting to freeze Mitsukage Yaho.

He turned to the injured yokai presently lying on the ground and helped her into a more comfortable position. But as his eyes swept over her face, his features tighten, as if unable to comprehend what he was seeing and he started to stutter.

"Tsu-Tsurara-sama!"

"What are you doing, Kou! Yaho is escaping!"

The impatient, crimson hair woman turned to her astonished companion.

Ignoring her, Kou did the unexpected thing. He hugged Tsurara tightly, his grip held strong on her, as if fearing that if he let her go, he would lose her again.

After what seemed like an eternity, Kou released his grip on the shocked and almost unconscious yuki-onna.

"Stop the chase! We cannot afford to lose Tsurara-sama again."

Wanting to show her disapproval but knowing better, the hot-headed Reina complied with his wishes, still unable to believe the yuki-onna standing before her.

Kou gently and carefully picked up the fragile body near him and carried her in a princess style manner. Then he turned to look at the boy who had frozen on the spot for the entire time, recognizing his "**Fear**".

"You are the third heir of the Nura clan, are you not?"

The boy nodded and Kou continued,

"We have to heal Tsurara-sama. Please, take us to your home."

As eager as Rikuo was to heal Tsurara, he could not leave his unconscious friends behind.

Sensing this, Kou sent some of his comrades to take them to the Nura clan's house.

Washed with relief, Rikuo led the whole group back to his house.

* * *

**Ok, so this is the end of the first chapter. What do you think? And really sorry again for making Rikuo seem useless in this chapter, but never fear! I will do my best to make him awesome in the later chapters plus some development between him and Tsurara. Hope that you'll review to keep me going. Thanks! :) **


	2. The calm before the storm

**Disclaimer: I do not own Nurarihyon No Mago (Dang it! Why dun I own it!)(Smacks head on table!)**

**Hey! I'm back, muahahaha! Thanks for the awesome reviews and I'll try to update the chapters every Saturday, so you'll have one more thing to look forward to on weekends ;) And so, drumroll pls… CHAPTER 2! (Screams randomly)**

* * *

He looked at the unconscious yuki-onna lying on the futon and cursed as he felt useless, unable to do anything to ease her pain. She had been sweating heavily and panting in her sleep, emitting chilled waves as she trembled. Rikuo had been watching Tsurara for 2 days and she still hadn't woken up. On the bright side, his friends don't seem to remember anything from the day in the forest and returned home the next day.

"Rikuo, don't worry. I did my best to heal her, she'll be fine."

The words came from a certain poisonous bird yokai who has khaki, scruffy hair that turns black at the neck and deep red eyes with small pupils. His pale skin stood out with his purple kimono and dark blue Haori with red details along the sleeves and collar.

"Zen…."

Hearing that, Rikuo was slightly relieved although there were still hints of worry in his brown eyes.

_Tsurara, please wake up soon…._ Rikuo silently prayed as night fell.

* * *

"No, don't, please… FATHER!"

Tsurara woke with a jolt, breaking out in cold sweat. The dreams she had, felt so real and she shuddered as the images flashed in her mind once again. The sun had descended and the night sky was filled with brilliant stars. The beautiful scenery felt like a slap on Tsurara's face as she remembered that horrible day in the forest. She struggled to get up and found her body wrapped in bandages. As she took shaky steps out of the room, Tsurara found herself heading to a familiar tree.

Unconsciously, she placed her hand gently on the trunk of the tree and closed her eyes.

"Rikuo-sama..."

"I'm glad you're well enough to walk and talk."

The deep voice took Tsurara by surprise as her eyes fluttered open; her cheeks immediately flushed bright pink, showing her embarrassment.

"Ri-Rikuo-sama!"

Then, realizing something, Tsurara got down to her knees; head lowered to the ground and started apologizing.

"I-I'm so sorry Rikuo-sama! It's my fault that Ienaga-san almost got hurt. Please forgive me!"

Her eyes were quickly filling to the brim with tears, turning into ice cubes and threatening to fall any moment.

"Oi, oi….no one's blaming you, you're injured, don't push yourself."

With a thud, someone landed on the ground and approached the wailing yuki-onna.

The man was tall and his red eyes fixed on Tsurara as he walked towards her. His long hair protrudes out the back of his head; the top half white while the bottom half black and to top it off, he was wearing a blue cloak over a black kimono zōri. Rikuo was in his night form, towering above the sobbing yuki-onna.

He helped Tsurara stand up and gently brushed her tears away. Without thinking, he held her in a long embrace and whispered in her ear.

"Baka, don't scare me like that again…."

Comforted by the one she held dearest to her quickly washed away all of her worries as Tsurara allowed herself to be held by Rikuo. Her beloved master had been worried about her and although guilty, she couldn't help but be glad that she was important to him and swore that she would never make Rikuo uneasy again.

* * *

Looking from afar, the silver-haired man tried to contain his fury as he looked at the scene before him. His hair had been tied in a simple laid-back pony tail falling around his shoulder and with his armor taken down; he was simply dressed in a blue-green yukata. However, seeing his beloved Tsurara-sama in another's arms made him fight a strong urge to grab his extremely deadly sword and hack the man holding her. The Third Heir had obviously not been thinking of her safety when wanting to save the human girl and Kou loathed him for that. He kept thinking what Tsurara-sama sees in that quarter yokai and cursed under his breath to even think that she might be in love with him.

Kou's thoughts were interrupted by a hand which gently wrapped his favorite blue scarf around his neck.

"You keep forgetting that you have to wear the scarf to keep inside the cold air that comes out from your breath. Do you want this whole house to be covered in ice?"

The person who disrupted his thoughts had long, crimson, wavy hair which casually flowed down her back. She was dressed in a reddish-pink kimono, designed with flames dancing on the sleeves and a purple scarf wrapped around her neck.

"I'll be glad to freeze that annoying Nura Rikuo to death."

Kou replied without even turning to look at the woman, glaring daggers at the Third Heir.

This action caused a vein to pop in the woman's head as she whacked Kou hard on his head.

"Stop staring at them you baka! The First Heir, Supreme Commander of the Nura clan, wishes to speak with us. He needs to know what's going on, so get your butt over to him!"

The woman, Reina, forcefully dragged Kou to the room where Nurarihyon was waiting, glancing back at the yuki-onna, wondering if she was really the one Kou had been searching for.

Unable to do anything, Kou gritted his teeth and grudgingly let the two yokai be alone for the night, swearing that he would bring Tsurara back home the next day.

"Supreme Commander, the guests have arrived to speak with you."

The crow yokai, Karasu Tengu, loyal follower and advisor of Nurarihyon, alerted the said man.

The Supreme Commander nodded his approval and waited for the guests to enter.

Sensing a powerful **"Fear"**, both Reina and Kou wondered who the leader of the great Nura clan was. Their expectations were obviously met with extreme shock and disappointment when they saw the face behind the Nura clan.

An old man greeted them as they entered and gestured for them to take a sit. His head protrudes backwards from his face in the shape of a gourd and he wore a brown robe over a dark green kimono with traditional Japanese sandals. Furthermore, he had a bag of sweets in his hand and seemed to be eating them contentedly.

Recovering from shock, both Kou and Reina quickly bowed, showing their respects.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Supreme Commander. We are from the Ice Clan and are currently attempting to capture an escaped prisoner, Mitsukage Yaho. This man has caused great tragedy to our clan and must be retrieved no matter what. We seek your understanding and co-operation."

Reina spoke clearly and straight to the point.

"One more thing, Supreme Commander. Since fate has brought us to the Nura clan, we will bring back what is most important to us, our long-lost princess. I will bring her back to her **true** home without fail."

His voice was filled with determination and resolve. Kou was not going to lose his princess again.

"I understand. Setsura told me this day would come; after all, she was only hiding in our place during that incident… However, Tsurara is still a part of our family so I won't stand for it if you forcefully bring her back unless she agrees."

Popping the last sweet into his mouth, the Supreme Commander dismissed the two ice yokai, allowing them to stay for the night at the Nura Residence.

"Now… what would Rikuo do…?"

A smile played on Nurarihyon's lips as he wondered with curiosity.

* * *

He smiled as he watched Tsurara sleep in peace. He felt surprised at himself when he thought back at how he unconsciously hugged the yuki-onna earlier in the night. But when he looked at her amber eyes almost filling with tears, or more accurately, ice cubes, he felt that he had to do something to comfort her.

_It's just a leader comforting his trusted attendant, that's all. _

The Third Heir repeatedly assured himself, trying to suppress the strange feelings emerging.

Rikuo jumped onto the branch of his favorite sakura tree and sat in the silence of the night. He leaned onto the tree and his mind wandered to the events of the day in the forest, an attempt to forget his feelings for a certain yokai no doubt.

"I have a bad feeling about this…."

His tiredness took over him and he fell into deep slumber, oblivious to what he had to face the next day.

* * *

**Yay, end of chapter 2! Kyaa! I loved the Tsurara x Rikuo scene! Yes, my friends, I am awesome! Haha, ok, enough self-praising for me, just wanted to know if I did ok. Please share your thoughts! :)**


	3. Confused heart

**Disclaimer: I do not own Nurarihyon No Mago (Never have and never will! ^)**

**Hey everyone! I'm really, really sorry for not updating sooner! [Gets down on knees and starts asking for forgiveness… X_X ] I was overseas last week and have been really busy this week. So to make it up, I'm gonna publish 3 chapters during this week! Yes, you heard right, 3 awesome chapters! Muahaha…. But there's another reason for my kindness, I'm flying off again! :'( So you gotta wait another week for the next chapter. Reaaally sorry guys! Hope these 3 chapters can last you. :)**

**Ok, sorry for blabbering so much…. On to the new chapter!**

* * *

"Rikuo-sama…."

" Rikuo-sama…."

" Rikuo-sama!"

Tsurara shouted in exasperation as she tried to get the Third Heir to wake up.

"5 more minutes Tsurara…."

Still unwilling to get out of his bed, Rikuo continued to sleep peacefully.

Knowing that further attempts would not get her master to get up, Tsurara decided to take extreme measures.

"Forgive me, Rikuo-sama!"

Tsurara muttered under her breath.

"CO….COLD!"

Rikuo jumped out of his bed as a blizzard formed in his room, freezing everything in its path.

With an apologetic smile, Tsurara told Rikuo that the Supreme Commander was looking for him urgently.

* * *

The arrival of the Third Heir quickly killed the small chatter amongst the yokai and all eyes turned towards Rikuo.

Rikuo quickly took his seat between Tsurara and Kubinashi, facing directly opposite his grandfather. Certain few that were part of his Hyakki Yako were also present: Aotabo, Kurotabo, Kejoro, Kappa and Zen were already patiently waiting for Rikuo.

When everyone had settled down, the Supreme Commander spoke.

"Ah Rikuo…we have been waiting. Now, on to the main topic."

The Supreme Commander waved his hand and a man and woman walked into the room.

The man had smooth silver colored hair and literally emanated beauty, but his eyes wore a look of tiredness and desperation. The woman on the other hand, looked stern yet elegant with her long, crimson hair. The pair emitted a chilled presence, immediately cooling the room.

When his gaze fell upon the yuki-onna who was sitting down, the look in Kou's eyes soften and he rushed forward to embrace her.

Shocked and confused, Tsurara did the natural thing. She breathed out icy cold wind which pushed him to the farthest end of the room.

"Per-Pervert!"

Her face flushed bright red as she said those words and her hands moved swiftly, guarding her chest.

The man laid there, obviously taken aback by her actions while the woman burst out in laughter.

"All right, that's enough…"

The Supreme Commander quickly took reign of the situation.

"These two are Kou and Reina. They have come here on official business and they have something to say, especially to you, yuki-onna. Listen well and… choose well."

Tsurara could not comprehend what the Supreme Commander was trying to say. She just stared at him and wondered about what he meant.

Kou, stood up and this time, slowly walked towards Tsurara. He knelt down on one knee, took Tsurara's right hand and gently kissed it.

Before Tsurara could react, he gazed intently into her eyes and spoke.

"I've finally found you my princess, like I promised I would. Now, let's go home."

Tsurara stood there speechless as she absorbed his words, her face getting redder by the second.

Finally understanding the words that Kou had said, Rikuo quickly stood between Kou and Tsurara, using his body to increase the distance between them. Somehow, his face was really red. Rikuo was definitely embarrassed.

"Wh-Who are you? You were there in the forest the other day too… What do you want with Tsurara?"

Rikuo desperately tried to change the subject.

"Forgive us, Rikuo-sama for not introducing ourselves. We are from the Ice Clan and as we explained to your grandfather, we are here to capture an escaped prisoner. We certainly did not expect to see Tsurara-hime here. "

The woman, Reina calmly explained.

Suddenly remembering something, Tsurara gripped onto Kou's sleeve and shouted.

"That man! Where is he?! He's the one that…..the one that….."

She stopped, as if trying hard to remember something, and then tears streamed down her face.

"I'm sorry…I…"

Tsurara couldn't continue. She looked at the yokai staring at her and quickly ran out of the room, desperately trying to hold back her tears.

"Tsu-Tsurara, wait!"

Rikuo tried to go after her, but a strong grip held him back.

"You don't know what she is going through….I'll go."

With that, Kou hurried to catch up with his princess.

Anger and helplessness washed over Rikuo. Who was this man to tell him that he had no power to comfort Tsurara?

Nuraraihyon gently placed his hand on his grandson's shoulder. It pained him to see Rikuo acting like this.

"Come, Reina and I will tell you more about Tsurara…. and her past."

* * *

Tsurara ran out of the Nura Mansion and into the forest beyond. A white flake landed softly on her face and she looked around.

"It's snowing…."

Painful flashbacks appeared in her mind but it was all blurry. Her head ached and Tsurara felt weak. Out of nowhere, a hand supported her and helped her stand her ground.

"Tsurara-sama…."

Kou steadied his princess as he carefully watched her.

With a little ice manipulation, he created a snowflake crystal in the palm of his hand and gently placed it in Tsurara's hand.

"This snowflake crystal seems…..familiar. Do I know you?"

This question took Kou by surprise. He looked at Tsurara and sensed her pain in trying to retrieve her forgotten memories.

"You don't have to try so hard Tsurara-sama. I will always be here with you. So you can take as long as you need to remember…."

He smiled at her, thinking that as long as he could be with her now, nothing else matters.

Tsurara felt it. She knew they had met before, but why couldn't she remember?! The snowflake crystal…. She recalled it in her childhood. It was given to her by someone…..someone she held dear to her….

Tsurara held the crystal tightly and brought it to her heart. Why was everything so confusing? Exactly what is happening?

A face then popped up in her mind. _Rikuo-sama….that's right. Rikuo-sama is worried about me. I should hurry back soon…_

Unknowingly, the yuki-onna had fallen asleep. The day proved to be too tired for her.

Kou caught Tsurara just as she almost fell to the ground. _She must be tired… after all that happened today…._

He carried her back to the Nura Mansion and placed her into bed. He watched her silently as she slept, feeling rather nostalgic. But his sweet moment was interrupted by a rather annoyed yokai.

"Oi, you and I, we need to talk."

Nura Rikuo had transformed into his night form, and he wasn't looking too pleased about another man staring at Tsurara's sleeping face.

* * *

**Ok! So that's chapter 3. I'm sorry it's quite short but I felt that I had to end it here. It just seems right. Jealous Rikuo is sooo cute! Haha! So remember to review and wait for the other 2 chapters! :)**

**P.S. this chapter is sorta a little treat for Lonely Athena. :P **


	4. Conflicting Emotions

**Disclaimer: I do not own Nurarihyon No Mago (Currently trying to bribe the author to sell it to me, but I don't think he is taking me seriously -.- ) **

**Hey guys…. no, I haven't died on a deserted road in another country for the past few weeks….even though I deserve it... :( I'm extremely, tremendously sry for neglecting you all and not keeping my promise. My part-time job had some trouble the day before I had to fly off so I ended up with no time to write the 3 chapters I promised you all. PLEASE FORGIVE ME! *bows continuously* I'm still stuck in my job but I'll try really hard to make time to write new chapters! And now….chapter 4!**

* * *

The air was still and the atmosphere tense as the two yokai walked out of the Nura Mansion and into the forest. The yokai walking in front had heavy footsteps which accompanied his heavy "**Fear**" whilst the yokai following him had lighter but firmer footsteps. None was backing down on the conversation they were going to have.

The yokai walking in front came to an abrupt halt and it seems as if the whole forest was holding its breath, waiting in anticipation for him to start speaking. In a flash, the yokai turned around and grabbed the other yokai by the collar of his yukata and pulled him close.

"Oi! I'll ask you again. What do you want with Tsurara?!"

His eyes raging with fury and his teeth seething, Nura Rikuo was definitely very agitated, in more ways than one.

Being suddenly grabbed by Nura Rikuo did not disturbed Kou, instead, he found it amusing that he managed to be a threat to the Third Heir. Kou calmly but strongly pried Rikuo's hands off his collar and answered with determination.

"Didn't you hear from your grandfather Rikuo-sama? I'm here to take her away from you, back to where she belongs."

Kou was grinning hard now, he was not going to lose his princess, especially not to one which placed a human's life over hers.

"That decision is not yours to decide. She might not even want to go back to that place."

Although Rikuo said that, somehow he wasn't confident. Ever since the two Ice Clan yokai came, Tsurara felt distant, like she was remembering a painful memory. He didn't want her to leave but what if she wants to go back to where she lived before they met? He wouldn't know what to do without her then…

"You're right. The decision lies with Tsurara-hime and hers alone. But think about it, she once lived a life where she had to serve no one, where she was safe from any harm. If she stayed with you, would you be able to protect her? Isn't she the one protecting you now? I'm only doing what is best for Tsurara-hime and claiming her rights to the throne. "

Those words resonated in Rikuo's mind again and again. _Can I protect her? She's part of my hyakki yako and when it comes down to it, she'll definitely place my life over hers. _This sudden realization sent a jolt through Rikuo's body. Kou was right, what's best for Tsurara is to stay away from him, only then will she be safe.

Rikuo's eyes were hollow, just like his soul when he said probably the hardest thing he had to say.

"Then take her away, far away from me as possible if it meant that she would be safe. But know this, if you ever let her get hurt, I will rip you apart with nenekirimaru."

With that sentence, Rikuo vanished into the night, his heart torn into pieces.

* * *

"Rikuo-sama! Rikuo-sama! Time to wake up!"

Tsurara called as she hurriedly brought breakfast to her master's room. However, what met her was Rikuo's mother, neatly folding Rikuo's blanket.

"Ara, Rikuo already left for school. I thought you went with him?"

At this sentence, Tsurara's face immediately dimmed.

She was disappointed and upset that her master did not wait for her to go to school, but that didn't stop her from running all the way to school, although she forgot one important thing on her way there. Tsurara was still in her yokai form, leaving a trail of ice behind her as she ran.

*RING!* Tsurara arrived in time just as the bell rang. She spotted Rikuo heading into his classroom but when he saw her, he didn't even acknowledge her and quickly looked away. Tsurara's heart sank. _Rikuo-sama must have not seen me. Yes, that's why he didn't wave back. _Tsurara repeatedly told herself that as she tried to calm down, but her heart betrayed her with how hard it was nervously beating.

The next few classes were torture as Tsurara could not think of anything but wanting to be at Rikuo's side as soon as possible. With all the events that had happened, she wanted reassurance that her beloved master will always stay by her side.

Tsurara rushed out of her class as soon as it was over and practically sprinted all the way to Rikuo's class.

"Rikuo-sama! I've come to pick you up!"

Tsurara said quite cheerfully. However, without even looking at her, Rikuo walked past her and unfeelingly said words that broke her fragile heart.

"I'm fine; I don't need you to pick me up every day. I'm not a kid anymore, so stop following me yuki-onna! It's annoying me!"

Tsurara stood there, speechless at what her master had said.

"Rikuo-kun, are you coming?"

An oblivious Kana asked Rikuo despite the tense atmosphere in the air.

"Hai, wait up for me!"

The usual smile formed on Rikuo's face as he replied Kana. However, only he knew that the smile was fake, cold and...empty.

Tsurara watched as Rikuo happily joined Kana, unknowingly, her face started to get wet. Tears streamed uncontrollably down her face as she stood rooted to the ground in silence.

As he stepped out of the school gate, Rikuo suddenly stopped. He turned behind and thought of the yuki-onna he left behind and guilt overwhelmed him. His heart and fists both clenched tightly and he hated himself. But he knew he had to be cruel to her, that's the only way he can show that he cares for her.

* * *

Tsurara took a long detour back to the Nura house in an attempt to calm herself down and review everything that happened at school that morning. However hard she tried, she could only end up with one answer. _Rikuo-sama doesn't need me anymore because I'm useless… _the words echoed through her mind, repeating over and over again, effectively working as stabs to the heart.

When she returned back to the house, she was a mess. Her eyes had been red and puffy from crying for an entire day and the chills she kept releasing were making her hair frizz, making her look like a mad woman who was deprived from sleep.

At the door waiting impatiently was a silver-haired yokai. At the sight of his princess on the brink of breakdown, Kou surged forward and hugged Tsurara tightly. Though shocked at his actions, Tsurara didn't push him away; all she needed was a shoulder to cry on.

Hidden within the shadows of the Nura house was a yokai with long, flowing, crimson locks. She watched the scene unfold before her eyes and walked away in silence. All the years she had been with Kou and he never once hugged her that tightly before whenever she was upset. Tsurara-hime got a shoulder to cry on, someone to reassure her when she was in her darkest moments but what about Reina? She has no one…

"Tsurara-hime, please come back to Ice Country with me. I promise you will never ever get hurt again, I will protect you till the end of time."

Broken and tired, Tsurara nodded her head in agreement. If Rikuo didn't need her anymore, what is her purpose in even staying? Maybe it was better to just leave and forget everything, it would be better for them both…

* * *

"Have you really decided? You won't regret your choice?"

The Supreme Commander asked with concern. He was taken aback when the yuki-onna came up to him and told him her decision to leave. He thought she was so attached to Rikuo that she could not bear leaving him. _A strange turn of events…I wonder what that idiot grandson of mine did to let yuki-onna go. I hope he does not regret doing this._

Tsurara nodded, desperately trying to stand firm to her resolution.

"I will train hard and become an even better attendant to Rikuo-sama! When I come back, I will not have anyone telling me I'm weak, especially not from the person I pledge to protect. I will go back and settle things with my past but I will definitely return to my true home here. Thank you for taking good care of me, Supreme Commander!"

The old man smiled and waved at the cheerful yuki-onna. _Rikuo, you're really lucky to have someone like her beside you. Treasure her well…_

* * *

**Whew! Long and emotional chapter but with a sweet ending right?! Hope you guys aren't disappointed! Please continue to support me with your reviews! And I'll really try my best to publish new chapters ASAP. Sry for making Rikuo seem very bad to Tsurara, i feel really bad. Sry Tsurara! I'll make Rikuo love you more in future chapters!**

**And so, I'm gonna add a new feature to my notes at the end of every chapter. Its called RANDOM QUESTION TIME. ~WEE~**

**Random Question of the day: Apples or Oranges? Feel free to add why ;)**


	5. Hidden Feelings

**Disclaimer: I do not own Nurarihyon No Mago (but I do own this alternate version, haha!)**

**Why doesn't anyone reply my random questions…oh well...just to blabber away, personally I'm an apple fan! It's just so red and crunchy, how can you not love it right? Haha, okay, enough with me being stupid, on to the next chapter! ~**

* * *

"_I will train hard and become an even better attendant to Rikuo-sama! When I come back, I will not have anyone telling me I'm weak, especially not from the person I pledge to protect. I will go back and settle things with my past but I will definitely return to my true home here. Thank you for taking good care of me, Supreme Commander!" _

* * *

~ 4 years later ~

"Kou, take team A and search through the northern ice plains. Reina, you take team B and search through the southern ice plains. I will take the rest of the manpower and look through the ice villages nearby. We'll meet at the ice capital in an hour. Dismissed!"

A strong and commanding voice echoed through the ears of the listeners, each paying attentively to the instructions given and behind that voice was once a fragile ice maiden, now grown to be a charmingly cold ice princess.

"Yes Hime-sama!"

The ice yokai dispersed and went on their mission.

"**Noroi no Fubuki, Yuki no ame!"**

Snow fell heavily like raindrops and clouded the view of the trapped escapee.

"Katahira Moe! You are arrested for the attempt of bringing chaos to the village! Take him down!"

By the orders of Tsurara, the yokai was captured within minutes and Tsurara brought her men to the rendezvous point.

An hour later, Tsurara, Kou and Reina gathered at the ice capital, each with a prize of their own.

"Katahira Moe, Hitagara Shou, Sasami Gin…. All are accounted for. Really, they gave us so much trouble…"

Kou complained as he stretched his arms and gave a disapproving yawn.

"Well, at least they were caught before anyone got hurt."

Reina rolled her eyes at the lazy silver-haired ice yokai as she said that and began her reports.

"Tsurara-sama, it seems that they were under orders from…. Mitsukage Yaho…"

Reina paused for a while…wondering if she should continue as this man was a sensitive issue to talk about to the princess.

Tsurara looked down and began to drown in her thoughts.

_Mitsukage Yaho…this man changed my life 4 years ago and I drifted away from Rikuo-sama. Rikuo-sama…the name rang again and again in her mind. When I came here 4 years ago, everything was revealed to me…_

* * *

~ 4 years ago ~

"Tsurara-sama, we're almost there, look, you can see the ice capital from here."

Kou pointed to a shimmering figure rising out of the ice field covered with snow, eyes showing his pride of the grand building.

As they approached the Ice Country, Tsurara stopped. Everything seemed familiar but why can't she remember? She scooped up some snow and shivered as the icy chill entered her entire body and suddenly, she felt home sick. Is this really my home? This cold and unwelcoming place….compared to the Nura House, this is making me feel extremely….lonely.

Kou noticed the halt in Tsurara's footsteps and felt the conflict of her emotions and both his excitement and radiant smile dimmed.

Reina placed a hand on his shoulder assuring him.

"She's just been away for too long, she'll remember everything once she gets used to this place."

Kou's face immediately brightened and he took Tsurara's hand and practically skidded on the ice, impatient to be away from his home any longer.

Reina watched the two yokai as they entered the gates of the Ice Country. Her reassuring smile towards Kou faded away as soon as he turned his back against her.

"At least he is happy…"

Reina walked slowly and in silence towards the huge gates of the Ice Country.

It took Tsurara at least a week to tour around her own palace and when she was done, she was broken. She had learned of her heritage and her family during the week and it had taken a toll on her. Mitsukage Yaho had burned the palace to the ground and her mother and she barely escaped with the destruction. He was the trusted friend of her father and yet he betrayed her father's trust. He cruelly killed her father when he tried to protect both her mother and she. Unknowingly and unwillingly, fat droplets streamed down her face as she could take in no more.

It took Tsurara another week to recover from her shock of the truth and before long her coronation arrived. She was officially crowned the rightful heir to the throne of the Ice Country. Even though all these happened, in the back of her mind, she was constantly thinking of her beloved Rikuo-sama.

_Is he eating well? Is he fine with school? Did he get into any fights? Was he injured? Has he become a splendid Third Heir? _

But the question that always popped up was: _Does he still remember me?_

She persistently tried to shake the most important question off her mind but it never fail to lead her to think of wanting to see him again. _Just a glance would be enough; I just need to know he is doing well._

But in truth she wanted to know if he was fine without her, if yes, then would she even need to come back? The fear of Rikuo not requiring Tsurara was deterring her from going back all this time but then again….

* * *

"Tsurara-sama, Tsurara-sama…"

Kou was worried now; Tsurara had blanked out for a while after Reina stopped halfway in her report and he was afraid that the name of the traitorous yokai had brought back shock to his princess. His fear was unfounded but anxiety and frustration rose up in place of it when one word came out of Tsurara's mouth.

"Rikuo-sama…"

Kou's feelings fell heavily as the name was strong and clear. After all these years, she still had not forgotten him. Kou wanted to keep his princess all to himself but he knew he couldn't be so selfish as to disregard her feelings. So, with a heavy heart, he suggested a plan to Tsurara.

"Since Mitsukage Yaho is not caught, perhaps we should discuss with the Nura House on his arrest? After all, he might still be hiding somewhere in Ukiyoe Town."

These words brought Tsurara back to reality. She clung tightly to Kou's robes and her eyes filled with hope.

"Go back to Ukiyoe Town? Are you serious, Kou?"

"Yes."

The answer was enough_. __Rikuo-sama…soon, I'll be able to meet you!_

* * *

"Rikuo-kun! Look at that stall! Let's try it out!"

Rikuo gave a weak smile as Kana pulled him towards the stall. They were celebrating the New Year at a festival in Ukiyoe Town. He couldn't refuse Kana-chan's offer to attend with him and so he went along with her whims.

But all day at the festival, he couldn't stop thinking about a certain yuki-onna. He smiled to himself as he imagined how excited Tsurara would be at the festival. The human world was always an interesting subject for her. As he thought more, he began to sadden.

4 years ago, he learnt that Tsurara left without even saying goodbye. Sure, that was his plan in the first place but he didn't think it would be that quick. His heart wasn't ready for her departure and his only consolation was that she was in a better place. But still, he was always waiting for the day when he could see her again.

"Rikuo-kun? Is everything all right?"

Kana asked with a concern look on her face.

"Haha, sorry, I was just spacing out. Shall we head over to that food stall? I'm starting to feel hungry."

"Okay!"

Kana's face immediately filled with joy once again.

_Really, I shouldn't be like this, making Kana-chan worry about me. I'm sure Kou-san is taking care of Tsurara very well…_

* * *

Tsurara stood rooted at the gates of the Nura House, within these 4 years, it hasn't changed at all. She was wondering if it would be alright if she went in without informing anyone but her thoughts were interrupted as she was engulfed in a gigantic hug.

"Yuki-onna! You're finally back! Mou, do you know how lonely I was, stuck with all the guys!"

A beautiful lady with long flowing hair and draped in a pink floral kimono greeted the surprised Tsurara.

"Ke-Kejoro! I've missed you!"

Tsurara hugged the yokai back tightly as tears streamed down her face.

"Well…look who is back…"

A floating head said at a safe distance away from the now shrieking girls.

"It's about time…"

Aotabo, Kurotabo and Kubinashi said at the same time.

While the guys invited Reina and Kou into the house, Tsurara was unfortunately dragged in by Kejoro.

"Ara! Tsurara… welcome home."

Tsurara was greeted with a warm smile from Wakana-sama.

Tears once again flowed endlessly as Tsurara realized that the Nura House truly is her real home.

"Rikuo won't be back from the festival until late so why don't you rest in your room first, we've left it vacant for when you would return."

With that, the cheerful Wakana-sama returned to washing the dishes, or more accurately, breaking it.

Kou and Reina went to meet the Supreme Commader to discuss on the issues of Mitsukage Yaho while Tsurara unknowingly headed to a familiar tree.

She smiled as she looked around her, _I'm glad nothing has changed since I left…_

She reached the sakura tree and gently placed her hand on it. Memories of Rikuo came flooding back to her.

"I'm home, Rikuo-sama."

* * *

"I'm home!"

Rikuo let out a tired sigh as he entered his house, the festival went on quite long and Kana was dragging him to almost every stall…

"Ahh…Rikuo, you're back. We have some guests."

Rikuo's mother smiled cheekily as she headed back to her room.

Rikuo was left confused as to his mother's strange behavior. Feeling tired, he didn't bother to greet the guests whom he thought were most probably meeting with his grandfather and he headed straight to his room. However, as he approached his room, he stumbled upon a figure near the sakura tree.

The person was wearing a hooded cloak which hid her face. But as the moonlight shone upon the figure, Rikuo was filled with awe at the beauty of the lady. Then he felt a familiar **"Fear" **and without thinking, words formed out of his mouth.

"Tsu-Tsurara, is it you?"

The figure turned towards him and familiar amber eyes stared into his as the long night continued.

* * *

**Oh wow…I'm tired…I think my brain stopped working from this long chapter… so drop me a review and I'll try my best to publish a new chapter as soon as I can. Also, I've decided to scrap the random question time since I'm the only one answering me, haha! Anyway, toodles! **

**And for your information:**

**Noroi no Fubuki, Yuki no ame : Snowing Rain (made it myself ^^)**


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